Interviewing workshops prepare students for futures in professional health fields

By Briana Contreras

Cleveland State University’s College of Sciences and Health Professions held interview workshops on Sept. 6 and 9 for students in the department who are planning to attend professional health graduate programs after their time at Cleveland State.

These workshops pertain to students in the Pre-Professional Health program who have already applied to graduate programs, but are open to all students in the College of Science and Health who may still be in their first two years of undergraduate studies.

The designations that fall under the pre-professions are dental, medicine, pharmacy, veterinary, physician’s assistant, physical therapy and occupational therapy.

In an hour, students who aspire to go into these professions learn about interviewing and the importance it plays in being accepted into graduate school.

The program’s coordinator and professions advisor, Brittany M. Wampler, M.Ed, set up these workshops when she started at Cleveland State in July 2013 to help make science and health students reach the next level of education easier.

During the interviewing workshops, Wampler covers details about the interviewing process. “These details are the correct way to prepare mentally, how to act in different structured interviews, the correct way to physically present yourself, having knowledge on the school you may be applying for and always have questions before and after an interview is over is highly important,” according to Wampler.

“It’s crucial that students in the pre-professional health program are more educated on the importance of interviewing,” Wampler says. “Nationally, science and health professions are the very competitive fields.

Many students are applying for actual jobs after graduating from a four-year school. Students who apply to professional programs, about 40 percent of them are accepted.”

In Wampler’s four years at Cleveland State, her role as an adviser and coordinator in this field is to guide students to help them navigate the process throughout college to create competitive applications and to help throughout the application process — writing personal statements, preparing the application and intgerview skills.

“I am helping many students in these programs — the ones planning on graduating in 2017 — grow and prepare for life after Cleveland State. The undergraduate students I am working with this year have been here as long as I have and it’s a privelage to help and see student’s dreams of becoming physicians, dentists and more come to fruition,” Wampler adds. “I want all students to have that chance to be educated, have a better chance of getting accepted and start their lives.”

Many students like Maria Perkio, a senior pre-physician’s assistant student, says she feels that workshops are extremely helpful, especially those presented by Wampler.
“In my time here at CSU, Brittany has helped me out with applying and advising me in the right direction,” Perkio says.

“I’ve been to many workshops that can help me prepare for grad school, but coming to this one has shown me so many important things about an interview I never would have thought of before,” Perkio adds.
In addition to interviewing workshops, other programs to help students plan their futures will be offered during the fall and spring semesters. To find these events, go to the College of Sciences and Health Professions page on Cleveland State’s website and apply to a program that can benefit you.